India
Business Etiquette & Culture

India Introduction

India
is officially called Republic of India (Hindi Bharat),
is located in southern Asia and is a member of
the Commonwealth of Nations. India consists geographically
of the entire Indian Peninsula and portions of
the Asian mainland. To its north lies Afghanistan,
China, Nepal, and Bhutan; to its east is Bangladesh,
Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), and the Bay
of Bengal; Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar (which
separate it from Sri Lanka) and the Indian Ocean
are to the south; and on the west is the Arabian
Sea and Pakistan.

India Fun Fact

The
current leadership of India is implementing sweeping
changes to encourage international business in India,
from privatization to the liberalization of trade.

Geert Hofstede Analysis for India

The Geert Hofstede analysis for India shows a large power distance
society and all other measures are relatively moderate.
This would be indicative of the fact that India is in the
midst
of change. The traditional caste systems has been outlawed,
however the large power distance score indicates that
the attitudes still remain.

India
has Power Distance (PDI) as the highest Hofstede
Dimension for the culture, with
a ranking of 77 compared to a world average of 56.5.
This Power Distance score for India indicates a high
level of
inequality of power and wealth within the society. This
condition is not necessarily subverted upon the population,
but rather accepted by the population as a cultural norm.

India's Long Term Orientation (LTO) Dimension rank
is 61, with the world average at 48. A higher LTO score
can be indicative of a culture that is perseverant
and parsimonious.

India has Masculinity as the third
highest ranking Hofstede Dimension at 56, with the
world average just slightly lower at 51. The higher
the country ranks in this Dimension, the greater
the gap between values of men and women. It may also
generate
a more competitive and assertive female population,
although still less than the male population.

India's lowest ranking Dimension is Uncertainty Avoidance
(UAI) at 40, compared to the world average of 65. On
the lower end of this ranking, the culture may be more
open to unstructured ideas and situations. The population
may have fewer rules and regulations with which to
attempt control of every unknown and unexpected event
or situation, as is the case in high Uncertainty Avoidance
countries.

India is predominantly Hindu, with 81% of
the population practicing that religion. Next is
Muslim at 12%, Christian at 2%, and all others within
the
last 5% of the society.

It
has been found that in most cultures, their is a
correlation between a country's religion and the
Hofstede Dimension rankings it has. There is only one
country with over 50% of its population practicing
the Hindu religion – India.

The Hofstede Dimension that correlates most with the
Hindu religion is Power Distance (PDI), the same as
Atheists in China and Muslims. All three have a high
level of Power Distance as the highest correlating
cultural Dimension with their religions. (See accompanying
article) See Geert Hofstede Details

Religion
in India

India Interview

Click
for the written transcript of an interview with Ashok
Chinnagiri

India Appearance

Men
are generally expected to wear a suit and tie for
business, although the jacket may be removed in
the summer. Women should wear conservative dresses
or pantsuits.

When
dressing casual, short-sleeved shirts and long
pants are preferred for men; shorts are acceptable
only when exercising. Women must keep their upper
arms, chest, back, and legs covered at all times.

Women
should wear long pants when exercising.

The
use of leather products including belts or handbags
may be considered offensive, especially in temples.
Hindus revere cows and do not use leather products.

India Behavior

The
head is considered the seat of the soul. Never
touch someone elses head, not even to pat
the hair of a child.

Beckoning
someone with the palm up and wagging one finger
can be construed as in insult. Standing with your
hands on your hips will be interpreted as an angry,
aggressive posture.

Whistling
is impolite and winking may be interpreted as either
an insult or a sexual proposition.

Never
point your feet at a person. Feet are considered
unclean. If your shoes or feet touch another person,
apologize.

Gifts
are not opened in the presence of the giver. If
you receive a wrapped gift, set it aside until
the giver leaves.

Business
lunches are preferred to dinners. Hindus do not
eat beef and Muslims do not eat pork.

India Communications

There
are more than fourteen major and three hundred
minor languages spoken in India. The official languages
are English and Hindi. English is widely used in
business, politics and education.

The
word "no" has harsh implications in India.
Evasive refusals are more common, and are considered
more polite. Never directly refuse an invitation,
a vague "Ill try" is an acceptable
refusal.

Do
not thank your hosts at the end of a meal. "Thank
you" is considered a form of payment and therefore
insulting.